Robert Mueller now has thousands of Trump transition emails

(TFA), wrote a letter to congressional committees to say Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team had improperly received the emails from the General Services Administration (GSA), a government agency.

But the investigators did not directly request the records from Trump's still-existing transition group, Trump for America, and instead obtained them from the General Services Administration, a separate federal agency that stored the material, according to those familiar with the Trump transition organization.

A spokesman for the Special Counsel's Office declined to comment.

There was no immediate reply Saturday to a request for comment from Mueller's office.

Numerous emails that Mueller's investigators have now include national security discussions about possible Trump worldwide aims as well as candid assessments of candidates for top government posts, said those familiar with the transition. The effort to rein in the probe is expected to increase as the Russian Federation prosecutors continue their work while they simultaneously prepare for a criminal trial next year against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates.

The emails pertain to 13 senior transition officials and many include national security discussions about possible Trump worldwide aims.

Trump and the White House have repeatedly said that "absolutely no collusion" has taken place nor has been proven by Mueller's investigation.

It's unclear how revelatory the email accounts maintained by the GSA will be for Mueller.

Langhofer wrote in the letter the Special Counsel's Office "was actively using those materials without any notice" to transition officials. It said the special counsel's office has "extensively used the materials in question, including portions that are susceptible to claims of privilege" without notifying the Trump for America team.

Langhofer also said that a GSA official appointed by Trump in May had assured the transition in June that any request for records from Mueller's office would be referred to the transition's attorneys.

The lawyer said the TFA had learned of the disclosure last week. Beckler was "hospitalized and incapacitated" in August and died the following month. GSA career staff, he added, produced the materials without making exceptions for attorney-client, deliberative process or presidential communications privileges.

Ken Nahigian, the Trump transition's executive director and trustee, said in an interview that GSA's decision to share the emails with Mueller's office would have a long-term detrimental effect for future transitions.

A former FBI director, Robert Mueller is leading the investigations into the allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Some Republicans have argued that Mueller is biased against Trump and should be fired. Both men have pleaded not guilty and a trial is expected next year.

Flynn pleaded guilty this month to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about his contacts with Russian Federation.

As the Trump transition complaint surfaced Saturday, several Democrats and former Justice officials cautioned that it may be an additional attempt at casting doubt on Mueller's integrity.

It asked for Congress to act immediately "to protect future presidential transitions from having their private records misappropriated by government agencies, particularly in the context of sensitive investigations intersecting with political motives". What are they afraid was found?

Congressman Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, questioned how "private documents" can be kept on a government email system.

The letter and accusations have been swiftly discounted by Democrats and other legal experts as an attempt to discredit the Russia-Trump investigation.

RELATED NEWS

Oklahoma shocks No. 3 Wichita State
Brady Manek added 21 points, including a 3-pointer that put the Sooners up 75-59 with 9:03 left in the second half. The Wildcats (8-3) hit a season-best 9 of 13 three-point attempts with Alkins making all three of his attempts. 12/17/2017

ISS astronauts will get their own Star Wars premiere-in space
US Navy captain Tingle is a graduate of Purdue University in IN, which also counts space legend Neil Armstrong among its alumni. The crew will gradually approach the station, which orbits about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth, for two days before docking. 12/17/2017

Ind vs SL: Confident India out to clinch ODI series
On a pitch that was quite hard, with a gentle sprinkling of grass to hold it together, batting was expected to be straightforward. Watch highlights from Dharamsala as Sri Lanka ended their 12-game losing streak in ODIs in the series opener against India . 12/17/2017

SAG Film Nominations Snubs and Surprises
Brown is up for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Randall Pearson in the primetime series. Steven Spielberg's Pentagon Papers drama The Post was shut out entirely, including its lauded stars, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks . 12/17/2017

MTSU football vs Arkansas State in Camellia Bowl
Middle Tennessee: Finished strong after only clinching bowl eligibility with a win over Old Dominion in the regular season finale. NOTES: Middle Tennessee's defense made significant strides this year, rising from 96th to 30th in total defense before Saturday. 12/17/2017

Trail Blazers, Magic hoping to correct inconsistencies
Vegas tends to place the total high when the Trail Blazers are involved, as 19 of their 27 games have finished under the total. Portland began the Eastern portion of its trip with a win at Miami on Wednesday that snapped a five-game losing streak. 12/17/2017

Nassar victims address the MSU Board of Trustees
During the sentencing in federal court, Neff ordered Nassar to serve the federal sentences consecutive to the state sentences. However, MSU trustees continue to voice their support for the president, which was reaffirmed during Friday's meeting. 12/17/2017

Express Scripts (NASDAQ:ESRX) Upgraded at Sanford C. Bernstein
Mitchell Group Inc increased its stake in Apache Corp (APA) by 2.14% based on its latest 2017Q2 regulatory filing with the SEC. It dived, as 113 investors sold ESRX shares while 436 reduced holdings. 118 funds opened positions while 421 raised stakes. 12/17/2017